Baby Furniture and the Phthalates Question
Posted: Tuesday, March 03, 2009
by Ursula Ansbach
mybabyfurnitureplus
The American Chemistry Council defines phthalates as " a family of compounds made from alcohols and phthalic anhydride. They are oily, colorless, odorless liquids that do not evaporate easily."
Their basic use is to make vinyl soft and flexible. From medical products to toys to baby furniture, baby cribs, to cars to homes, flexible vinyl products make our lives both better and safer. They help to save lives in hospitals and emergency rooms, make our homes more decorative and easier to clean. Phthalates make energy more efficient and durable. For more than the past fifty years, they have also been a key ingredient in perfumes and nail polish. Their performance is difficult or impossible to match with competitive substitutes. And, important for all of us today: they save money!
Why then did the state of California ban phthalates effective January 1, 2009 in certain products for children, including baby furniture and baby cribs when the initial ban was limited to toys and pacifiers, or items in direct contact with food or intended to be mouthed?
Dr. Harry Fisch, a fertility doctor and director of the Male Reproductive Center of Columbia University, believes that this move was made due to fear rather than reasonable judgment. "I was a little shocked (at the idea )to actually try to remove phthalates from toys (or other baby products such as baby furniture or baby cribs) without having an understanding about what phthalates do to humans. It's a real stretch. Any research that's been going on has been on animals. There's no proof that they cause problems in humans, at least in regards to reproductive health and cancer. We have tons of studies that say they (phthalates) are no problem. We have used them for over 50 years and we actually are seeing health improve."
Dr. Fisch believes the California legislature was fearful. He is suggesting that we rely on the fifty years of data which show absolutely no abnormalities or problems with phthalates. "The reality is people are worrying people about these sort of disorders when in reality, take it easy, it's not causing a problem . "
American Chemistry Council President and Ceo Jack Gerard basically agrees with Dr. Fisch that this new bill ignores fifty years of proven study and practice on phthalamates. "This law flies in the face of good science and good governmentCalfornia businesses will be obliged to take products off the shelves that their customers need and want. We all agree on the need for regulations to protect our children but there are already regulations in place to protect us from harm. This law ignores a system that works. In more than fifty years of use no reliable evidence has ever shown that any phthalate has ever brought harm has come to anyone" USCPSC has spent more than four years studying phthalates found in vinyl toys and it concluded that "no demonstrated health risk from its use in toys and no justification for banning its use. " He concluded that this ban will not advance safety.
There is current discussion underway at the federal level which states in part that "consumer products designed or intended by the manufacturer to facilitate sleep or the feeding of children age 3 and younger or help children with sucking or teething. " This is where we begin to see the inclusion of baby furniture and baby cribs.
As we apply Dr. Fisch and Mr. Gerard' professional views, and we relate this information to baby furniture and baby cribs, we need to realize that while the baby crib is indeed intended to facilitate sleep and while a baby may possibly lick this baby furniture, it is not intended for sucking nor does it come into contact with food to be ingested. We need to be careful and always put safety first, without causing undue and unnecessary panic.
High quality baby furniture and baby cribs such as those manufactured by Child Craft, are either already in compliance or are in process of completing the documentation and processes that also have to be in place. Rest assured that when you purchase high quality baby furniture or baby cribs from Child Craft, that your baby will be safe!
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